Around the World in 11 Days: 11 Photos

March 2019: I didn’t necessarily mean to fly all the way around the globe…but after all the flights were booked, it just kinda laid out that way.

Here’s what the route looked like: San Francisco (west) to Singapore, to connect for the Maldives. Three nights in the Maldives, then a direct flight to Sri Lanka for three nights. Next, north to Bangladesh for a night and then over to Bahrain with an overnight layover in Kuwait. My flight home from Bahrain to San Diego included a seven-hour layover in London.

Here are eleven photos from my eleven days around the world, with at least one picture from each country.

Country 121 – Maldives: It’s everything you imagined and more. White sands, clear water, over-water bungalows. I ate really well at the all-inclusive Kuredu Resort. My favorite memory was swimming with a wild giant sea turtle. Pure paradise. FULL MALDIVES STORY HERE.

Country 122 – Sri Lanka: Unfiltered beauty, spirit, charm, unapologetic rough edges. I split my time between the capital (Colombo) and the town of Kandy, enjoying the beautiful views and bumpy rides of the local trains. FULL SRI LANKA STORY HERE.

Country 123 – Bangladesh: Bangladesh was without a doubt my absolute favorite stop on this trip. It was wild, crowded, loud, fast…all around insane…and fun! Some of the nicest people in the world are in Dhaka. And Bangladesh caught me off guard: Reports from my friends and colleagues had me not looking forward to this place; they’d told me Bangladesh was their least favorite country. It quickly became my favorite. FULL BANGLADESH STORY HERE.

Country 124 – Kuwait: Everything I expected: clean, calm, collective. A nice afternoon and evening in Kuwait, with walks through the souk and good food in my belly. FULL KUWAIT STORY HERE.

Country 125 – Bahrain: Last stop and a quick one, packed with activities, including the Royal Camel Market, the zoo and one ancient mosque. FULL BAHRAIN STORY HERE.

London Layover: I’d been to London before, but that didn’t stop me from breaking out of Heathrow on my nine-hour layover to head into the city. I forgot my coat, was denied breakfast at Duck and Waffle, but enjoyed a walk through the park. FULL LONDON STORY HERE.